The most interesting facts
1. Celebrations all year round. Lithuanians really know how to party. That's why they've packed their calendar with more public holidays than any other place in Europe. They've got tons of reasons to celebrate – there's Midsummer, the Spring and Autumn equinoxes, and get this – they don't just have one independence day, they've got two! And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their celebrations. Basically, whenever you come, there’ll be some kind of celebration kicking off somewhere.
2. Location, location, location? Is Lithuania up north? In the middle? Or maybe somewhere in between? Lithuanians see themselves as Northern Europeans, but they're also one of at least eight countries claiming to be the center of Europe. And they've got some science on their side. In 1989, the National Geographic Institute of France calculated that the exact middle of the continent is in Purnuškės, a village just north of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius.
3. A soup so good it has its own festival. What do you get if you mix grated beets, chopped boiled egg, and kefir? The ultimate in summer soups, Šaltibarščiai. Shocking pink in colour and equally zesty in taste, this is the flavour of a Lithuanian summer. In fact, for locals, their first spoonful of the year marks the official start of the long sunny season. Eminently instagrammable, it is sure to pop up on the threads of anyone who’s visited the country from late May to early September, which is the peak Šaltibarščiai period. And the soup is such a thing that it now has its own festival, which takes place in the capital Vilnius in or around the end of May to kick off soup season.
4. An obsession with size. Lithuania is a small country with a big past—once the largest state in Europe in the 15th century. Our love for size never left us. That’s why every large hill here is called a mountain, and Gediminas Castle, despite being just a defensive tower, is still given a grand title. But never worry, when it comes to local cuisine, there’s only one portion size: generous.
5. A rebellious streak: Two of our most famous 20th-century artists, Jurgis Mačiūnas and Jonas Mekas, are celebrated for their rebellious stance against the very foundations of the art world. It's ironic, then, that the Lithuanian public takes pride in seeing their works displayed in MoMa and Tate—something that would likely have amused these two old rebels. This rebellious streak has now spilled out onto the streets of the major cities. Large murals poking fun at modern politics and historical figures (as well as more hallucinatory visuals) have become a common site in both Vilnius and Lithuania’s second city, Kaunas. In fact, these days both cities have their own outdoor galleries, Kaunas even has a map that helps you orientate yourself around all the amazing work on show.
6. Cool (and a little crazy) constitution. We Lithuanians take pride in flying our freak flag high. That’s why, right in the heart of Vilnius, there’s the Republic of Užupis, where a Constitution grants a dog the right to be a dog. We're not certain of its legal standing, but it's filled with gems like "Everyone has the right to understand nothing." And as the icing on the cake, you’ll find that the constitution is available in a wide array of languages, with each version etched into its own handsome metal plaque.
7. A heavy food with a light name. Lithuanian cuisine has its quirks, like our bright pink soup and grey cepelinai, or Zeppelins. These slightly glutinous potato dumplings couldn’t have a less fitting name. Unlike their namesake aircraft, which suggests lightness and flight, these dumplings will sit in your stomach for at least a day and take twice as long to digest—unlike the pink soup, which is as light as it is colorful.
8. Hot air heaven. Come summer in Vilnius, you are guaranteed the nightly spectacle of multicoloured hot air balloons drifting over the city. In fact, Vilnius is one of the few European capitals that allows hot air balloons to fly over its centre. So, if you’ve got a head for heights and want to see Vilnius’ UNESCO listed old town from a truly breathtaking angle, jump in the basket!
9. A truly historical tongue. It’s no small boast that the Lithuanian language is one of the oldest in the world, so ancient in fact that it shows some similarities to Sanskrit. A good start would be the local word for thanks “aciu” (pronounced atchoo). Yep, it does sound a little like the onomatopoeic way that English speakers describe a sneeze, but it’ll help you make the right impression. And if you’re really feeling adventurous you can try and use the language’s longest word “NEBEPRISIKIŠKIAKOPUSTELIAUJANTIESIEMS” It’s meaning? “For those who never pick enough shamrocks for themselves” - after all, if you want to be lucky, you really need to put in the work.
10. Spooky superstitions. Lithuanians are usually quite rational people but they still knock on wood, just in case. Other superstitions include not passing sharp objects from one hand to another (this might lead to a quarrel). And speaking of sharp objects, if you drop a fork or a spoon at the dinner table, it means someone’s going to come and visit you that day (fork means it’s a man and spoon means a lady). Folk beliefs also inform the novel way Lithuanians celebrate more traditional festivals, like pancake day. Harking back to ancient times, people get costumed up as all manner of witches and demons and dance around bonfires to cast out the evils of winter. It’s like halloween in the snow, and well worth a trip to see!
